Method for removing draft gear

ABSTRACT

A method and device for removing railroad car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is broken or cracked, wherein the device comprises a frame including a rigid elongate base having a pair of upstanding arms, one of which is rigid with the base and the other of which is swingably mounted to move its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of the hydraulic ram carried by the base. After the draft gear carrier iron, coupler, and its key or keying pin are removed, the device is lifted up against the draft gear-yoke assembly, with the rigid arm positioned against the yoke inner end and the swingable arm adjacent a block of metal disposed in the yoke outer open end adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then acutated to compress the draft gear between the block and yoke inner ends so as to free it from the draft gear pocket front stops, after which the draft gear and yoke may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit.

United States Patent [191 Peterson Mar. 19, 1974 [73] Assignee: Cardwell Westinghouse Company,

Chicago, 111.

[22] Filed: v July 24, 1972 [21] Appl. No: 274,215

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 141,150, May 7, 1971, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl 29/427, 29/252, 254/124 [51] Int. Cl.....'. B23p 19/02 [58] Field of Search 29/427, 251, 252; 254/124; I 242/249 R, 249 HA [56] References Cited Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-James R. Duzan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mann, Brown, McWilliams & Bradway 5 7] ABSTRACT A method and device for removing railroad car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is broken or cracked, wherein the device comprises a frame including a rigid elongate base having a pair of upstanding arms, one of which is rigid with the base and the other of which is swingably mounted to move its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of the hydraulic ram carried by the base. After the draft gear carrier iron, coupler, and its key or keying pin are removed, the device is lifted up against the draft gearyoke assembly, with the rigid arm positioned against the yoke inner end and the swingable arm adjacent a block of metal disposed in the yoke outer open end adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then acutated to compress the draft gear between the block and yoke inner ends so as to free it from the draft gear pocket front stops, after which the draft gear and yoke may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures My U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,853,774 and 2,956,336 disclose a method and devices for removing draft gear from railroad car draft gear pockets in which a jack device of a special type is interposed between the yoke draft key receiving front arms and the draft gear front follower (after the coupler and draft key have been removed) to compress the draft gear against the inner end of the yoke and free same from engagement with the front draft gear stops, whereby, assuming that the draft gear carrier iron has been removed, the draft gear, yoke, and jack device may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit. Alternately, after the gear is compressed, a suitable wedge or block is applied between the yoke outer end and the draft gear frontfollower, the jack released and removed, and then the yoke and draft gear are lowered from the car as a unit.

However, when the yoke is broken, this type of device is not effective to compress the gear since the forces needed to contract the gear act in tension through the effective length of the yoke, which would only'tend to separatethe broken parts of the yoke.

When the yoke is broken, the problem of separating the draft gear and its yoke assembly from the draft gear pocket is very difficult since the draft gear is quite firmly held between the draft gear pocket front and rear stops by its built-in restorative forces that return the gear to neutral position after draft or buff forces have been absorbed. Experience has shown that yokes when broken usually have a fracture through one or both of their upper and lower strap portions between which the draft gear is received, and adjacent the inner end of the yoke, so that pressing the gear against the inner end of the yoke by placing the yoke in tension merely aggrevates the situation.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a method and device for removing draft gear-yoke assemblies from a railroad car when the yoke is broken.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a method and device for removing a broken yoke and draft gear from a draft gear pocket in which the inner end of the yoke may serve as a fixed abutment against which the draft gear is compressed to release same from the draft gear pocket front and rear stops.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device for compressing a draft gear mounted in a yoke by applying opposing forces against the inner end of the yoke and the outeriendof the draft gear through the yoke outer end, to provide a method of applying draft gear and yoke assemblies to a draft gear pocket, and to provide a devicefor handling draft gear and yoke assemblies that is economical of manufacture, convenient to use, and long lived in operation.

In accordance with this invention, the device for han dling draft gear and yoke assemblies comprises a frame including an elongate rigid base having a pair of spaced apart upstanding arms disposed adjacent either end of the base, one of which arms is rigid with the base and the other of which arms is swingably mounted to move its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of a hydraulic ram carried by the base, with the mounting arrangement of the swingable arm being such that a mechanical advantage is provided for applying the forces generated by the hydraulic ram to the draft gear. After the carrier iron, coupler and its key or keying pin have been removed, the device is lifted, by being suitably rested on elevatable forks of a fork lift truck, a scissors type jack or other suitable type of mobile jack device, up against the draft gear yoke assembly with the rigid arm of the device positioned against the yoke inner endand the swingable arm adjacent a block of suitable metal such as steel disposed in the yoke outer open end and adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then actuated to compress the draft gear between the block and the yoke inner end to free the draft gear from the pocket front stops, after which the device, the draft gear, and the yoke are lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit. The device is equally applicable to yokes for both E and F type couplers, and may also be used to apply draft gear and yoke assemblies to draft gear pockets.

Still other objects, uses, and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section through a railroad car draft gear pocket, showing a draft gear and yoke assembly for a type E coupler in the process of being removed in accordance with this invention, with the normal location of the coupler being indicated in phantom;

FIG/Zis a vertical sectional view through the draft gear pocket of FIG. 1, better showing the jack device of this invention applied in operative relation to the yoke and draft gear assembly there illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the jack device of FIGS. 1 and 2, on an enlarged scale and with parts being broken away to expose other parts;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the right hand end of the device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the left hand end of the device of FIG. 3.

However, it is to be distinctly understood that .the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated is supplied primarily to comply with the disclosure requirements of the Patent Code, and that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a preferred embodiment of the invention applied for removing from the draft gear pocket 12 of a conventional railroad freight car underframe 11 a draft gear and yoke assembly 14 comprising a conventional yoke 16 and a standard type draft gear 18. The draft gear pocket 12 illustrated is generally representative of the type employed in conventional railroad freight car equipment, it being defined by spaced fixed center sills 20 of the car underframe 11 which have applied thereto an inner pair of fixed stops 22 and an outer pair of fixed stops 24 between which is mounted draft gear 18 as assembled within yoke 16 for application thereto of a' conventional coupler (not shown) that will rest on a conventional wear plate (not shown) applied to suitable wear plate support structure 26. A so-called carrier iron 27 or its equivalent secured between and under sills 20 where indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 1 supports the draft gear. Carrier iron 27 is fixed in place by suitable rivets or the like applied to holes 29 in sills 20, which rivets and the carrier are indicated as having been removed in the showing of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The yoke 16 illustrated is for couplers of the E type and generally comprises a pair of upper and lower strap portions 28 and 30 joined together by the yoke inner end 32 and the yoke outer end 34. In yokes for type F couplers, the yoke outer end is open as at 36 to receive the coupler shank, and defines spaced horizontal arms to receive a vertical pin (not shown) that keys the coupler shank to the yoke.

The draft gear 18 is intended to represent any conventional type of draft gear, that shown including a housing 46 containing a suitable impact absorbing mechanism indicated at 48 which cooperates with a front follower 50. The mechanism 48 after absorbing impacts applied to the gear acts to restore the gear to neutral position and the restorative forces result in the draft gear end 52 being firmly seated against rear stops 22 and the front follower 50 being firmly seated against the front stops 24. The draft gear rear end 52 engages yoke inner end abutment surface 53 while front follower 50 would closely approach the yoke outer end abutment surfaces 55 if the draft gear is freed from stops 22 and 24, lowered away from them, and released. The yoke lower strap portion30 normally rests on the carrier iron (which is omitted in FIG. 2).

When yoke 16 is broken, one or the other of its straps 28 and 30, or possibly both, will be fractured, as for instance where indicated by reference numeral 54 in strap portion 28.

In order to be able to remove the draft gear and yoke assembly 14 from the draft gear pocket 12, the draft gear 18 must be compressed to release it from between the front and rear stops 22 and 24. The device is especially adapted for serving this function in instances where the yoke 16 is found to be broken.

The device 10 generally comprises a frame 60 in the form of a rigid elongate base 62 of generally channelshaped cross-sectional configuration (see FIG. 4) having an upstanding fixed arm 64 at its end 66 and a pivotally or swingably mounted upstanding arm 68 at its end 70. Arms 64 and 68 are in substantial coplanar relation, as indicated in FIG. 1.

The swingably mounted arm 68 includes an upstanding end portion 72 and a depending end portion 74, arm 68 being journaled by being received over pin 76 suitably mounted in frame end portion 70.

Mounted within the base portion 62 of frame 60 is a force supplying device, which in the form illustrated is a hydraulically actuated ram 78 including a ram member 80 (see FIG. 3) reciprocably mounted in casing 82. In the form illustrated, the ram 78 acts against the depending end portion 74 of arm 68 to swing its upstanding end portion 72 in the direction of fixed arm 64. Arm 68 is mounted on frame 62 so as to provide a mechanical advantage in applying the forces generated by ram 78 to the draft gear for purposes of compressing same, as will now be described.

' In use. after the draft key, coupler, coupler wear plate, and carrier iron are removed, the device 10 equipped with a ram 78 is suitably applied to suitable mobile jack or lifting apparatus, such as a fork lift truck, and specifically to the fork structure of same, which is suitably equipped with the extensions as may be necessary or desirable, or a scissors jack, and moved underneath the draft gear and yoke assembly to be removed from the car. By suitably operating the supporting jack or lifting device involved (not shown), the device 10 is moved into vertical and longitudinal alignment with the draft gear and yoke assembly to be removed, for instance assembly 14. After a block 84 of steel or the like is placed within the open end 34 of the yoke and against the draft gear front follower 50, the device 10 is elevated to position its arms 64 and 72 in the full line positions relative to the yoke that are indicated in FIG. 2, with the fixed arm 64 thus being placed in substantial abutting relation to the inner end 32 of the yoke while the movable arm 68 is positioned adjacent the outer end 34 of the yoke and in close adjacency to the block 84.

The ram 78 is then actuated to bring the end 72 of swing arm 68 against block 84 which in turn presses the block 84 against the front follower 50 of the draft gear 18; the draft gear in turn is pressed against the inner end 32 of the yoke that is restrained from movement inwardly of the car by the device fixed arm 64.

Further operation of ram 78 is continued to sufficiently compress the gear 18 so that a suitable working space appears between the front follower 50 and the front lugs or stops 24, as is suggested by the broken line showing of the front follower 50, after which the device 10 together with the yoke 16 and draft gear 18 are lowered from the car as a unit.

The movable jack type support employed may then be moved out from under the car and the yoke and draft gear separated in the usual manner.

It is necessary to initially remove the conventional coupler wear plate from its support structure 26 to insure adequate working space for the device 10.

While the device 10 is readily usable to remove from the car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is sound, the unit 10 is specifically designed to effect this removal where the yoke has some defect, such as the fracture 54. This is achieved by reason of the fact that only the inner end 32 of the yoke enters into the structural arrangement employed to compress the draft gear, and this part of the yoke is subjected only to compression.

The device 10 can also be employed to apply draft gear and yoke assemblies to the car, and this can be done by applying the yoke and draft gear assembly to a device 10 at, for instance a work area adjacent the car to be equipped with the needed yoke and draft gear assembly, with the draft gear being compressed in the manner already indicated to space the front follower approximately at the broken line position of FIGS. 1 and 2, after which disposable wedges of a suitable conventional type may be applied between the front follower and one of the yoke abutment surfaces 55 at its outer end 34, after which the ram 78 is retracted to release the draft gear. The yoke and draft gear are then moved to the railroad car in question in any suitable manner, and lifted into place to dispose the draft gear and its front follower 50 between the front and rear stops or lugs of the car, after which the carrier iron is applied to hold the draft gear and yoke in place. The coupler wear plate, coupler, and draft key are then applied. The disposable wedges are crushed upon the first impact so that the draft gear expands into full seating engagement with the draft gear pocket front and rear lugs. Of course, device could be employed to hold the gear in its indicated compressed relation for application to the car, if so desired, with release then being effected. by backing off ram 78.

The disposable wedges may be formed from a suitable type of wood, aluminum or other material that will not crush under the static force exerted by the draft gear but will crush when the first impact is occasioned.

' SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION The base 62 of frame is preferably made from some suitable metallic substance in the form of a unitary casting comprising a web structure between spaced side flanges 102 and 104 that define the basic channel shaped configuration of the base 62. At the end 66 of the base 62, the web 100 and flanges 102 and 104 make a 90 bend to form the fixed arm 64, in the illustrated embodiment.

I At the end 70 of the base 62, flanges 102 and 104 project beyond the end 106 of the web 104 to form extensions 108 and 110 which are suitably apertured as at 112 and 114, respectively, to receive the pin 76 on which the arm 68 is journaled. The respective ends 116 and 118 of the pin 76 are, in the form illustrated, suitably recessed to frictionally receive keeper pins 120 and 122, respectively, that prevent dislodgement of the pin 76; however, it is apparent that other suitable retainer devices, such as lock rings, etc., may be employed for this purpose.

Below the web 100, base 62 is formed with an upper cross wall 124 and a lower cross wall 126 which extend longitudinally of the base and are connected by a cross wall 128 that forms the seat 130 against which the ram 78 acts in actuating swing arm 68 to compress the draft gear. Cross walls 124, 126, and 128 and side flanges 102 and 104 define a receptacle 132 in which the ram 78 is placed. Wall 128 is suitably reinforced by'flange 134 extending between the cross walls 124 and 126. Side flanges 102 and 104 are joined together by cross wall 136 at a point intermediate the wall and the fixed arm 64. v

The ram 78 may take any form of suitable hydraulically actuated device, that shown comprising a cylinder casing 82 that reciprocably mounts ram member 80 that is equipped with a suitable piston head 140 arranged for suitable sealed relationship with the cylinder casing wall 142. Casing or cylinder 82 as illustrated is of two piece form, including a casing wall structure 144 suitably apertured as 146 to accommodate the ram head and having its base end 148 closed by a base plate 150 screwed in place and suitably sealed against leakage. Thus, in the particular arrangement illustrated, it is the casing or cylinder 82 that moves with respect to the base 64, with a wear plate 151 suitably affixed to cylinder engaging the end 74 of arm 68 for purposes of contracting the draft gear in'accordance with this invention, but the position of the ram 78 may be reversed, if so desired. I

As previously indicated, swing arm 68 is preferably mounted such' that it provides mechanical advantage for ram 78 to work through in acting to contractthe a commercially available 50 ton ram as ram device 78. Such an arrangement will provide up to about 160,000 pounds pressure for contracting the draft gear.

The ram unit 78 employed may be hydraulically actuated in any suitable manner, with the casing 82 being shown provided with a suitable fitting structure 152 and tubular connection 154 passing through one of the slots 156 or 158 provided in the respective side flanges 102 and 104 for this purpose. Fitting 152 may be connected to a suitable hand operated or motor driven source of hydraulic liquid under pressure. In the illustrated embodiment when the device 10 is to be freed from the draft gear yoke assembly, the hydraulic pressure on the ram is released in some suitable conventional manner so that ram member 80 may be pressed by hand to its contracted relation of FIG. 3. However,

ram device 78 may be double acting in nature if so de- I 65 draft gear. In accordance with a commercial embodiment of the invention, the dimensions A and B of FIG. 3 have a ratio of five to eight, which permits the use of sired.

However, other types of ram or jack devices for applying the indicated force to swing arm 68 may be employed, as desired, with the seating or mounting arrangement therefor being provided as necessary or desirable.

While the rigid arrangement of fixed arm 64 is preferred, arm 64 could, of course, be formed by a pivoted member suitably bracedin its operative position of FIG. 3 to resist the forces that will be applied against it.

While the device 10 has been shown employed for use in connection with yokes for E type couplers, it may readily be employed in a similar manner in connection with yokes for F type couplers since the outer ends of yokes of this type are open to receive the knuckle end of the type F coupler shank, and once the coupler and its keying pivot pin are removed, the device 10 can be readily applied to a draft gear yoke assembly of this type. It may be necessary in some instances, however, to burn off with a torch a portion of the forward end of yokes of this type to insure that the device 10 is applied firmly in place against the underside of the yoke. Since it is assumed that the yoke in question is already defective in some manner, as by having a crack 54, any excisement of the yoke that might be indicated is of no moment.

In a commercial embodiment the stroke of the ram is about 2 inches.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of applying to a railroad car draft gear pocket a draft gear-yoke assembly to be supported by a carrier iron in which the draft gear is received in a yoke that is of the type including a closed inner end and an outer open end into which the shank of the car coupler will extend for keying connection to the yoke, wherein the draft gear is to be received between the pocket front and rear stops, said method including the steps of:

applying a force to the inner end of the yoke acting to press same against the inner end of the draft gear while applying an opposing force through the outer end of the yoke to the outer end of the draft gear to compress the draft gear,

inserting a disposable wedge between the yoke front end and the draft gear outer end,

releasing said forces whereby the draft expands against the wedge,

raising the yoke and draft gear into the pocket from beneath as a unit and positioning the draft gear between the pocket front and rear stops, while maintaining the draft gear so compressed,

and applying a carrier iron under the draft gear to support the draft gear and yoke,

whereby the disposable wedge is crushed upon first impact to permit the gear to expand into engagement with the pocket stops.

2. The method of removing from a railroad car draft gear pocket a draft gear-yoke assembly supported by a carrier iron in which the draft gear is received in a yoke, which yoke is of the type including a closed inner end, an outer open end into which the shank of the car coupler extends for keying connection to the yoke, and

a pair of spaced apart parallel straps connecting said yoke ends, with the draft gear being received in the yoke between the yoke inner and outer ends, said method including the steps of:

removing the coupler and carrier iron from the pocket, applying a force to the inner end of the yoke acting in the direction of the yoke outer end to press the yoke inner end against the draft gear inner end, while applying to the outer end of the draft gear, through the open outer end of the yoke, an opposing force acting in the direction of the yoke inner end to press the draft gear inner end against the yoke inner end, to compress the draft gear against the inner end of the yoke free of tension stress in the yoke straps, and lowering the yoke and draft gear from the pocket as a unit while maintaining the draft gear so compressed. 

1. The method of applying to a railroad car draft gear pocket a draft gear-yoke assembly to be supported by a carrier iron in which the draft gear is received in a yoke that is of the type including a closed inner end and an outer open end into which the shank of the car coupler will extend for keying connection to the yoke, wherein the draft gear is to be received between the pocket front and rear stops, said method including the steps of: applying a force to the inner end of the yoke acting to press same against the inner end of the draft gear while applying an opposing force through the outer end of the yoke to the outer end of the draft gear to compress the draft gear, inserting a disposable wedge between the yoke front end and the draft gear outer end, releasing said forces whereby the draft expands against the wedge, raising the yoke and draft gear into the pocket from beneath as a unit and positioning the draft gear between the pocket front and rear stops, while maintaining the draft gear so compressed, and applying a carrier iron under the draft gear to support the draft gear and yoke, whereby the disposable wedge is crushed upon first impact to permit the gear to expand into engagement with the pocket stops.
 2. The method of removing from a railroad car draft gear pocket a draft gear-yoke assembly supported by a carrier iron in which the draft gear is received in a yoke, which yoke is of the type including a closed inner end, an outer open end into which the shank of the car coupler extends for keying connection to the yoke, and a pair of spaced apart parallel straps connecting said yoke ends, with the draft gear being received in the yoke between the yoke inner and outer ends, said method including the steps of: removing the coupler and carrier iron from the pocket, applying a force to the inner end of the yoke acting in the direction of the yoke outer end to press the yoke inner end against the draft gear inner end, while applying to the outer end of the draft gear, through the open outer end of the yoke, an opposing force acting in the direction of the yoke inner end to press the draft gear inner end against the yoke inner end, to compress the draft gear against the inner end of the yoke free of tension stress in the yoke straps, and lowering the yoke and draft gear from the pocket as a unit while maintaining the draft gear so compressed. 